Smyrna times., 1887-01-26
Big Things on Ice.
FANTASTIC PALACES SUCH AS OLD KING
ZERO USED TO LIVE IN.

The weather for the last ten davs has
Oeen most propitiOus for carnival pre-
parations. That is to say, Jack Frost's
antics have chased the mercury down
below zero, the air has been clear and
crisp, and the st. Lawrence is a field of
gllstening artic ice, furnishing an abun-
dance of building material for the ice
castle, which is now under wav. To
the average Montrealer such weather
IS essential to the thorough enjoyment
OF winter sports. Visit any other citv
during cold wave and the depizens
Will apologize for the bad behavior of
Inc weather, assuring you that it is
something out of the common. Here.
however, the thousands of healthy.
Drawny-bOned members of the differ
ent athletic clubs glory in the clear.
cold, exhilarating air. When a thaw
comes then the thermometer of the
snowshoer and tobogganer fgurativelv
drops below zero, and they are only
consoled by the thought that such a
misfortune occurs but rarely in the
vicinity of old Mount Royal. The
craze for tobOgganing is Undated this
year; the slides are thronged every
night, and new clubs are everywhere
forming. Every one is carnival-mad
and merry time is in anticipation for
the second week in February. The
the novelties in the carnival programme
this year are limited to an ice maze on
Place d'Armes, ice arches on the prin-
cIpal squares, lumbermen's shanties. a
sleighing parade, and a street pageant
An immense toboggan slide is to be
erected on Jacques Cartier Square,
starting from the base of Nelson's mon
ment. The chute will be fifty-fve feet
high, with a second chute or dip over
the revetement wall on the frozen
river, which should give the toboggans
sufficient impetus to reach almost half
way to st. Henlen's Island.
But it is not alone in the matter of
novelty that the st. Paul people have
outdone their Montreal cousins. Their
Ice palace is grander and larger, and
its towers soar higher into the blue skv.
1t will cover an area of $4,000 square
feet, against Montreal's 14,OOO; its CEN
tral tower will be 1S5 feet high. against
Montreal's 102, while its statuarv in
solid ice, its bears couchant on pedes-
tails and its colossal statute of King Bo-
realis will be features will be more pic
turesque than any of its predecessors.
Instead of following the designs of
former winters, the architects have
placed the principal tower at the north
western angle, not at the centre, the
whole design being intended to give
variety of view as an observer makes
the circuit of the structure. The plan
IS an irregular square inclosing an area
of some $4,000 feet, entirely clear, open
to the sky. From each angle of the
square a tower rises, that on the south
western corner being a reduced copy
of the greater tower at Windsor castle.
and provided with a circular staircase
in ice leading to parapet commanding
fine view. A height of 1O2 feet will
be attained by the principal tower.
The tower at the eastern angle will
rise to height of so feet and be placed
to the walls. At the north
erly angle there will be fourth tower.
30 feet square and 30 feet high. Cur
tain walls with lOOpholes and battle
ments comment towers and turrets to-
gether, special provision, dictated by
experience, has been made in the
design for effective aids to electric illu-
mination and pyrOtechnics. 1t is in
tended to have a comprehensive exhibit
within the castle of Canadian grasses,
grain, fruits and vegetables.
A party of 200 snowshoers will start
from Winnipeg on the 18th on a tour of
the winter carnivals. They will first
"do" the st. Paul festival, where they
will be Joined by $50 of the St. Georges,
Club, of St. Paul, an offshoot of the
Montreal ST. Georges, and take in our
week of sports and pass on to Burling-
ton, VT, arriving there in time for the
opening Ofits carnival on February IA.
A large contingent of Montreal snow
shOers will also tend the Burlington
fete, which opens Immediately after
the Montreal festival closes.